E3 2014: First Gameplay of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Revealed

Microsoft started off their E3 2014 conference by revealing the first gameplay for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Beginning with a birds-eye view of Seoul from a futuristic VTOL airship, the craft abruptly takes a hit, resulting in its inhabitants being ripped out of its innards and dropping safely to ground level using a new feature - jetpacks.

After infiltrating a building and making their way out into the South Korean city streets, we’re given the full scope of how brilliant the new CoD will look over its predecessor. The glass panels on skyscrapers shimmer in the sun as debris flies straight towards the protagonists face. This is a pretty hectic warzone.

It seems that ammo count - and therefore gun condition - are now displaced on your firearm with the use of a holographic overlay. What’s notable is the complete absence of a HUD. If this carries over to the final release, it will mark the first time CoD hasn’t been bogged down by extensive user interfaces.

As the team progress through the city streets, Activision are keen to show off some of the game’s new features. Not only does there now appear to be mobile cover in the form of high-tech shields, it appears that we’ll also be able to rip car doors from wrecks and use them as makeshift bullet sponges. Perhaps the most interesting addition is a new grenade that can switch between multiple different types, including frag, smoke or smart. Smart grenades look particularly fun to use, as we see the demonstrator throw several into the air and watches as they hover for a few seconds and then home in on enemies. Should be great for campers.

The demonstration ends with two of the group making their way to a ship to plant a bomb. Going to withdraw, the guy on bomb duty gets his arm jammed in the ship, granting us a close up of his grizzled, yet brilliantly animated face as he bids us farewell, kicks us to the cold, hard earth, and disappears in an explosion.

The demo ends with the phrase “Power Changes Everything”, and the reveal of the game’s release date: November 4th 2014.